Of Pranks and Marriage
by Aliaslisa
Summary: Inquisitor Evelyn Trevelyan and Commander Cullen Rutherford travel to the Marches in order to meet Evelyn's snob of a family. Her mother and father thinks Cullen is too quaint to be in thier presence, and invited a prospective man to meet their daughter. Post-game Dragon Age Inquisition setting. Features Dorian and Sera. Others will appear later
1. Chapter 1

**Of Pranks and Marriage Part 1**

Post-game setting: Mage Trevelyan, Dorian x Iron Bull, Vivienne is the new Divine (since it just kind of happened to me)

You can view this as a post-game continuation of my other Dragon Age story (A Mask Can Only Get You So Far), I might refer to events from that series.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>The Inquisitor gave Cullen a wary look. "You know I love you, right?" she said with a hint of worry in her tone.<p>

Cullen took her hand and let his fingers entwine hers. He twitched his mouth into the reassuring half-smirk she had come to depend upon whenever she felt insecure. "Yes, that's pretty much all you have said to me since we arrived in the Free Marches." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, "not that I'm complaining."

She squeezed his hand, "I just want you to remember that before we enter the dragon's den."

"I'm sure your parents aren't that bad."

"You've never met my mother…" Evelyn shook her head, "this I such a bad idea!" She tugged Cullen's arm, "they haven't seen us yet, let's go home now… We can stop by your sister on the way back; she's _so nice_!"

"I know she's nice, but we have already met her. Now it's time to meet your family."

She gave him a pleading look, almost like a mabari begging for a treat.

The commander rolled his eyes. "You're strong; you defeated Corypheus and lived to tell the tale. I'm sure you'll be able to handle your parents."

"It's not me that I'm worried about," she said sullenly.

Cullen wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to worry about me. I have dealt with nobles all my life. I know how to behave properly."

Evelyn leaned her head on his chest, soaking in his warmth. "You've never met the likes of Lady Trevelyan."

"Whatever she puts me… or you through, we'll survive… and I'll still love you when we leave this place… Let's ring the bell, she might surprise you."

Surprised she was…

Before she knew it, Evelyn stood in her mother's tight embrace, grasping for air.

"You've come home! My sweet girl is finally home!" Lady Trevelyan cried. Eager to study her daughter, she freed Evelyn and let her eyes wander from top of head to the tip of her toe. ¨

She gave the Inquisitor a proud smile, "you've grown so much, and just look how beautiful you've become!" Lady Trevelyan embraced her daughter a second time, "it's been to long! My dear girl, how your father and I have missed you!"

Cullen stood in silence, rubbing his arm nervously, not wanting to ruin the loud family reunion.

Lady Trevelyan didn't detect the man next to her until Evelyn wrestled her way out of her arms.

"And who is your friend?"

He gave her a polite bow, "Ser Cullen Rutherford, madam."

"Oh, what a charming young man! This must be one of your noble Orlesian friends I've heard so much about! You must think I'm a terrible hostess for not noticing you."

Evelyn sighed, she knew Cullen's title would pale to her guess. "No mother, this is Commander Cullen. He's the general of the Inquisition forces."

"Oh, he's a _general_, for the Inquisition" she said with a slight derogatory tone. "Well it was nice of you to see Miss Evelyn home safely… will you stay in the Free Marches for long? I know a _quaint_ little inn not far from here."

"Mom!" The audacity of her mother shocked her. She knew Cullen wasn't exactly of noble origins, but his position and title in her army should carry enough weight to be deserving of an invitation from _the_ Lady Trevelyan; especially with their recent victory over Corypheus.

She gave her daughter a sincere look of curiosity, "what?" Lady Trevelyan couldn't understand the displeased look from her daughter, she saw no injustice in her disparaging behavior.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "I thought Cul… err… the Commander might stay here with us until I leave."

Lady Trevelyan raised an eyebrow. "Well… I suppose he _did_ get you here safely. You will have to discuss it with your father, but the guestrooms' occupied, and the north wing closed for the winter." She gave her daughter an exasperated look, like the thought of a _commoner_ as a houseguest was as blasphemes as painting Andraste naked. "Maker knows where we'll put him!" she added dramatically.

"I'm used to lesser luxury; I'll be fine as long as there's a bed I can sleep in."

This seemed to ease the mistress of the house. She rubbed her chin as she pretended to think of somewhere to put him. "You won't mind if we put you in our servant quarter?"

"Mother!"

Lady Trevelyan raised her shoulders, "what?"

Evelyn would have torn her mother to pieces hadn't it been for Cullen's interference. "No E… _Inquisitor_, it's quite alright."

She crossed her arms and gave her mother a hard look. "Why are the guestrooms occupied?"

The question seemed to be the right one to ask, for her mother could hardly contain her excitement. "Oh, we have the most charming houseguest! You won't believe it. He's so handsome and polite, and he's very well read. You will absolutely adore him!"

Lady Trevelyan's wishes was so transparent that they were an embarrassing display of human folly. "Maker's breathe…"

"Don't seem so sour my dear." She interlocked her arm with Evelyn's and led her in to the main hall. "Men want a fun-loving girl who can cheer him up," she stated as it was a matter of fact. She looked over her shoulder, "don't you agree, _Commander_?"

Cullen awkwardly stalked behind the Trevelyan women. He cleared his throat before he dared to speak up against the lady of the house. "Ehm… I rather like ser…"

"You see," Lady Trevelyan cut him off before he could finish the word 'serious'. "Men like fun-loving girls, even the ones that don't hold a high a social status as we do."

"I don't think Commander Cullen was about to agr…"

"Oh Hill!" Lady Trevelyan exclaimed when she noticed one of her servant elves dusting the paintings on the hallway wall leading out of the main hall. "Do you recognize this beautiful young lady in my arms?"

The whitehaired, elderly elf opened her mouth to speak, but Lady Trevelyan answered for her, letting Hill gawk like a goldfish. "It's Miss Evelyn of course. She's finally home! Haven't she grown Hill?" Hill parted her lips, but Lady Trevelyan cut her off once again, "and she's so tall! The last time she was here, she was about your height. Can you believe it!?"

Evelyn's face turned to a bright red. She gave Hill an apologetic glance as her mother tugged her away from the servant, eager to show her off to the rest of the staff. Hill gave her the familiar nod she always received while apologized for her mother's tactlessness.

"Oh before I forget," Lady Trevelyan said as she suddenly turned around to face Hill again. "Would you be a dear and show Miss Evelyn's guest to the spare room in the kitchens?"

The Inquisitor didn't get to see the reaction of Cullen nor Hill's face before her mother dragged her into the library. She nearly pushed Evelyn down in a sofa and rang the bell for tea. While they waited, Lady Trevelyan busied herself with her daughter's hair.

A young elf entered the room with a tea tray and placed it on the table in front of Evelyn. The Lady sent the girl away and poured Evelyn a cup, then herself. "Oh," Lady Trevelyan fake gasped, "I forgot to tell your father you're here. I'll get him. You… just sit here." She rose from her seat and hurried to the door leading to the West Wing. "Sit up straight would you? Your figure is best when you sit up straight."

Evelyn sunk down to a comfortable position as soon as her mother left the room. She took a sip of tea and let her eyes wander around the familiar bookshelves. The only thing she had truly missed when she moved to the circle was the centuries worth of books her family had collected. To think she would have inherited all of this if she wasn't a mage.

She sighed and closed her eyes, contemplating on how she could break the news about her relationship with Cullen. The displeased look on her mother's face was something she dreaded, but not as much as the uncomfortable silence her father would enter into. She rubbed her forehead and let out a sigh.

The Inquisitor didn't bother to sit up when she heard the creek from the West Wing door. She was old enough to stomach the scolding for behaving unladylike. The footsteps following the creek didn't match her mother's tripping, but it sounded somewhat familiar. She opened her eyes and turned to look in the direction of the approaching person.

"Marvelous library you got here milady," a man's voice echoed.

Evelyn closed her eyes once more, and sunk further down in the sofa. "You're my mother's guest I take it? She readied a cup of tea for you before she pretended to fetch my father."

"Oh splendid," Dorian Pavus seated himself next to the Inquisitor. He added some milk in his tea and leaned back.

"Why are you here Dorian?" she asked lazily.

"You know my love for rustic furniture?"

"Somewhere along the line of _adoring it to pieces_"

"Yes! That's what I love about you, you just get me."

"My mother will be thrilled," she answered sarcastically. "So you traveled to the Free Marches to acquire furniture?"

"Well, Bull and the Chargers had some dealings in Kirkwall. I decided to tag along."

Evelyn snorted, "this isn't Kirkwall. Are you here with the Iron Bull?"

"A qunari in this household? Could you imagine?"

"I would have been fun though, the look on my mother's face."

Dorian took a sip of his tea "I don't think your mother would have invited me if she knew we were involved. I fear it's just me and my elven slave."

Evelyn opened her eyes and gave the Tevinter next to her a lazy look. "I knew Corypheus would be a bad influence on you. Enslaving elves… what will be next? Blood magic?"

"You know us Tevinters, a bunch of evil slavers and blood mages."

"Mhm, and who's this slave of yours?"

Dorian smirked as he grabbed a biscuit from the tea tray. He took a bite before he spoke, "who do you think?"

Evelyn sighed, "where is she?"

He answered with a shrug.

"How did you coax Sera into this?"

"Oh, don't believe for a second that this wasn't her idea," he said as he finished the biscuit. "Where's our dear Commander?"

"Down in the kitchens. _Someone_ has occupied the spare bedrooms."

"I'm so _sorry_ about that… truly… but you see, my slaves are accustomed to a certain way of living. My family is _very_ rich."

"Ahh, I'm sure they are _Lord Pavus_." Evelyn rolled her eyes and sat up to drink some of her tea. It was a little too cold for her taste, but she finished it nonetheless.

Lady Trevelyan reentered the library with Lord Trevelyan. "I see you have already met our guest."

"Difficult to avoid when you fling him on me like this."

"Evelyn! Watch your manners in front of Lord Pavus," Lady Trevelyan gave her daughter a stern look, "and sit up straight!"

After a rather awkward tea party whereas Lady Trevelyan tried to play matchmaker with the least compatible people in Thedas, while Lord Trevelyan just sat there in silence and watched his wife's folly. Dorian had welcomed the attempt in hopes of embarrassing his friend, which worked (much to his satisfaction). Evelyn announced that she would go and check on Cullen. Lady Trevelyan complimented her kindness towards her 'footman' as she called him, and suggested Dorian come with to _explore_ the castle.

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>They found Cullen in his room, rubbing his temple while Sera loudly enthused about bees in a jar.<p>

"There you are," he said in a relieved tone when he noticed Evelyn. "Would someone please explain why Sera and Dorian are here?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Pranks and Marriage Part 2**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>Cullen's question lingered in the air.<p>

"Well, would the two of you please tell us how you managed to impose on my mother's _kindness_?" Evelyn demanded to know.

"Oh dear Inquisitor, your mother tells the story more vividly than Sera and I do," Dorian gave the elf a sideways glance, eager to infuriate Evelyn further.

Sera nodded eagerly, "she's a real talker that one!"

Of course! As if Dorian and Sera would ever give a full disclosure of their shenanigans, what would be the fun in that? Evelyn leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "And when will the _Madame_ tell me?"

"During dinner I'd imagine. She's quite fond of me, and _very_ eager to express my heroic feat in front of her dinner guests."

Cullen raised an eyebrow at his friend, "heroic feat? She didn't care much about my role in the inquisition."

Dorian waved him off. "Oh she doesn't know I'm a part of your inner circle."

"Clearly. She wouldn't be lobbying a match between us if she knew..."

The Commander jumped off the bed. "What! She wants you to marry Dorian?"

"Don't sound so shocked my dear Commander." He gave Cullen a wink, "I'm delightfully charming; all mothers want their daughters to marry me."

Evelyn laid a calming hand on Cullen's arm. "Don't worry, I'm not marrying Dorian."

"Well obviously!" Cullen responded while throwing his left hand up in the air.

The Tevinter mage smirked, "don't pretend you wouldn't have married me if you could."

Evelyn rolled her eyes as a response to Dorian's remark. "What I don't understand, is how my mother didn't know who the two of you were. Both of your names are heavily linked to the Inquisition after all."

"My Red Jenny contacts in your staff made sure none upstairs knew shite of your dealings."

Evelyn sighed as she sat down on Cullen's bed. "Well, I _did_ tell you and Leliana to keep my family out of the loop… You two might be a little too good."

"Oh, we're the best," Sera boasted.

"How long do you intend to stay?" Cullen gritted his teeth as he inquired.

"However long Lady Trevelyan wants us to… and don't worry Commander. I'm not encouraging any of her ladyships whims. I'm simply a houseguest, eager to know the family of my dearest friend."

"Just behave; both of you…"

Sera and Dorian agreed, though Evelyn suspected a lot more shenanigans from the pair.

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At dinner later that evening, Lady Trevelyan was way into her story of how she met the _'gallant Lord Pavus_' as she had titled him. "You should have seen him my dear, so chivalrous!"

"You don't say…" Evelyn answered coldly, sipping her spiced wine.

"Oh, but I _do _say!" Lady Trevelyan exclaimed. "The man saved the lives of Lady Ornacia and mys… you remember Lady Ornacia right? She used to come here all the time with her son… what was his name again dear?" She glanced over at her husband to get the right answer, but he didn't stand a chance against the velocity of her words. "I believe it was Eldric."

"No, it was just _Eric_, mother…"

"Yes that's it! Just imagine… hadn't you moved to the circle, you would have been long married into the Ornacia family!"

"Just imagine that." Dorian chimed in with a sly grin on his face.

"Don't worry Lord Pavus; Eric is married to a _nice_ Ferelden girl." Lady Trevelyan huffed. "She moved here during the Blight. Oh… what was I saying?"

"I believe you told dear Evelyn how we met."

"_Dear Evelyn_, how _friendly_," Lady Trevelyan giggled.

The Inquisitor noticed Cullen tighten the grip on the cutlery in his hand. He sat opposite her at the dining room table. Next to him sat Dorian, while her mother and father sat on each end of the mahogany furniture. Sera ate in her bedroom; an elf was a bit too much for his lordship to handle at the table.

"As I was saying… Oh, yes! Lady Ornacia and I were attacked on our way into town. Someone shot an arrow at us, barely missed my head by an inch."

"An _arrow_, you don't say." Evelyn said dryly.

"Yes an arrow! Just an inch from my head. Then another one was fired, it would have gone straight through my heart, hadn't Lord Pavus deflected it with his magic barrier." She touched his shoulder as she thanked him – once again – for his bravery.

"It was nothing, I'm sure any gentleman would have done the same. Don't you agree, _Commander_?"

Cullen had just put a piece of salmon in his mouth and had to chew it before he answered. Lady Trevelyan waited impatiently for the retort. "Most _commoners_ would come to the aid of women in need as well."

Lady Trevelyan seemed satisfied enough with his reply. She turned to her daughter next. "How long do you intend to stay this time my dear?"

"Not more than a week, I'm afraid."

Her mother seemed horrified. "Only a week? I would have at least expected you to stay for our spring salon."

"Your Spring Salon? That's almost a month away!"

"It's exactly a month today, Miss Evelyn," Dorian added cunningly.

"You know of my Salon?" Her ladyship gasped in excitement.

"Oh yes. Rumors of your wonderful salon goes far beyond the Free Marches."

Evelyn had to give Dorian credit. He had most likely never heard of the event until this very moment, but he sure knew how to please the nobilities.

"Then you must stay for the Salon Lord Pavus, you won't regret it."

Dorian raised one eyebrow and gave the Inquisitor a challenging look. "Of course I will."

"Wonderful!" Lady Trevelyan enthused, "you must stay as well Evelyn. How can you not, when we keep such good company?"

"I must hurry back to Skyhold, I have a lot of responsibilities I need to attend to."

"I'm sure they can manage without you. You've already taken care of that… _thing_. What else are there to do?"

"There are a lot of people who relies on me, mother."

"The Commander could go back and fill in for you? He seems capable enough to lead the Inquisition now that you've done your part; or maybe that nice woman we corresponded with, that Lady Josephine Montilyet. The transition from ambassador to leader won't be too difficult."

Dorian leaned closer to Lady Trevelyan as if he was about to confide a secret to her. "Lady Josephine is the heiress of the Motilyet family, _madam_, she can't be spared for long."

"You know the Ladyship?"

The mage glanced over at Evelyn, "only _a little_."

Lady Trevelyan sensed a hidden meaning behind his words. She gave her daughter a stern look, "you _must_ stay here until the Spring Salon. I absolutely insist that you do so!"

"But the Inquisition needs me!"

"Maybe it needs you right now, but it won't last forever. Please think of your future my dear."

Lady Trevelyan's words started to rile Evelyn up. "And what kind of future do you envision for me? I'm a mage, the only place I can still be free is in the Inquisition."

"Well… it's not the _only_ place for a mage to be free," Lady Trevlyan said as she obviously hinted to the freedom mages enjoyed in Tevinter. "Just stay until the Spring Salon. It's _the_ event of the season you know."

Eager to change the subject, Cullen added the little knowledge he had of the event to the conversation. "As I recall, it's _the_ social event of the year. A week filled with dinner parties, a grand ball and the main event; your salon at the end of the week where you watch the flowers bloom in your gardens."

Lady Trevelyan was baffled by the Commanders knowledge. "Yes, I guess Miss Evelyn told you."

"No your Ladyship, Marlowe Dumar told me." he replied courteously.

A sincere smile formed on her lips, "you knew the Viscount?"

"Our paths crossed more than once during my stay in Kirkwall."

"Oh, you lived in Kirkwall. It was to my understanding that you were from Ferelden."

"Yes I am… but I got the opportunity to transfer from the Ferelden Circle of Magi after the Blight."

"I see, no wonder you're so _agreeable._ Those years in the Free Marches did wonders on your manners."

Cullen knew it was as close as he would get to a real compliment from her Ladyship. He smiled and nodded, afraid to say anything that would ruin his sterling moment of proper conversation.

Evelyn slightly raised her glass in Cullen's honor. Dorian caught on and did the same; he leaned in and whispered, "Well played," to the Commander.

"Dreadful thing that happened to him." Everyone turned to Lord Trevelyan as he uttered his first words during the dinner. "He was a good man."

"That he was." Lady Trevelyan chimed in, "he would always stay the whole week. He was a dear friend of the Lord."

"And those filthy qunari swine killed him."

Lady Trevelyan made and uncomfortable movement in her chair. "Please my dear, we're entertaining guests."

"We're all _humans_ here. Why should I keep it in?"

Evelyn glanced over at Lariana – the elven servant who attended to their drinks while they ate – she studied her feet as she fidgeted with her hands, clearly uncomfortable with his Lordship's words. Evelyn then let her eyes wander over to Dorian. Her father's words had silenced the always-humorous mage.

The Inquisitor gave his lordship a stern look, "common decency for one thing."

He scowled at her challenge, "and the other?"

"I see no superiority in being a human."

Lord Trevelyan abruptly rose from his chair. "The dinner was wonderful Lady Trevelyan, excellent menu as always. I will retire to my study…" he glanced at Evelyn, "feel free to stop by when you're ready to apologize for speaking up against me." He said sharply as he tossed the napkin he'd kept in his lap on the floor. He snapped his fingers and gestured to the elven servant to clean up after him.

"I'm sorry Lariana," Lady Trevelyan said to the elf.

"It's quite alright mam," the servant answered, almost too quiet to hear.

"How's your mother. Is she feeling any better?" Lady Trevelyan continued.

"It's too soon to tell mam."

"Just tell me if you need some time off to look after her. I'm sure we're all capable of pouring or own wine for a day or two." The female elf bowed as she left the room with the master's dishes.

Lady Trevelyan sighed. "I must… apologize for my husband. He was very close with the Viscount. It's not an excuse but…"

"It's nothing I haven't seen in Tevinter," Dorian assured her.

She gave him a meek smile, "though you don't share the same values. I'm sure it's not customary to keep your slaves in a lavish room."

"To be honest, Sera's not my slave."

"Oh, I just assumed that…"

"It's my bad, really, I didn't correct you. She's not even my servant, she's just my friend." He glanced over at the Inquisitor, it looked like he was about to spill all the beans and tell her ladyship everything. Evelyn knew nothing good would come from a full disclosure in Lady Trevelyan's current state. She therefore kicked Dorian in the shin so he would keep silent for now.

"I feel really embarrassed," Lady Trevelyan rose from her chair. "I think it's best if I go and check on my husband. I'm sure you won't apologize for your actions Miss Evelyn."

Evelyn shook her head. Lady Trevelyan leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "my sweet girl. It's good to have you back." She stepped over to the door and let her hand rest on the knob for a moment, "I would be delighted if the three of you joined me for tea in the library when you finish dinner. Please bring your friend Sera."

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>Thank you so much for reading, following and favoring! I especially enjoy your kind reviews! I hope you all will forgive me for the rather serious ending of the chapter. I'll keep it more lighthearted in the next one<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Pranks and Marriage Part 3**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>The three remaining dinner guests finished their meal in utter silence. Evelyn had first wanted to break up the party – and give everyone some time to recuperate before meeting Lady Trevelyan for tea in the library – but she remembered that Hill had spent the better part of her day running around town; finding the right ingredients for a lemon cake; Evelyn's favorite dessert. She kept the party going, not for the sake of her sweet tooth, but for the sake of Hill's hard work.<p>

"Cullen," Evelyn said when she finished her piece, "would you fetch Sera for tea?"

Eager to be out of the tense aura in the room, Cullen jumped at the opportunity to clear his head. "It would be my pleasure," he said; perhaps a little too curtly.

While Cullen left the room, Evelyn used her napkin to brush away the crumbs on her lips. She glanced over at Dorian, and they gave each other a wary smile.

It took two more bites before the Tevinter mage finished his dessert. When he did, he used his own napkin to wash his mouth and chin. "Well, this is the most uncomfortable I've been in my life… that includes the time my father used blood magic on me."

Evelyn buried her face in her hands, "I'm so sorry you had to sit through that. How I'm related to these people, I know not."

"You're only related by flesh and blood," Dorian mused, "your will and mind are your own."

"I hope so…" she raised her head and met the Tevinter's brown gaze. "I truly am sorry. I knew my father was… well… it seems he's worse."

Dorian rose from his chair and walked around the table. He stopped next to Evelyn, and dragged her out of her chair. Before she could even register it, Evelyn stood with Dorian's arms wrapped around her, sobbing against his chest.

"Never apologize for the action of others. You're only responsible for the things you do. Today you stood up for both the elves and the qunaris at that table." He rested his head on top of hers, "I love you for you, never change."

As luck would have it, that was the time Lady Trevelyan reentered the dining hall to check on her guests.

_Well shit_.

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><p>Lady Trevelyan dragged them both to the library. She was too excited to sit down, so she waltzed around the library, humming a cheerful tune while they waited for Cullen and Sera.<p>

The tea arrived before the remaining guests did, and Lady Trevelyan was already far into Dorian's heroic tale once again. She started anew when she realized (with help from Dorian) that Sera had not heard the Lady's version of the story.

"Well dear Sera… may I call you Sera?"

Sera grabbed a biscuit from the tea tray and doused it in the milk mug. "I'd prefer it if you call me Lady Jenny," she said between biscuit bites. "_My friends_ call my Lady Jenny."

"Is that so?"

"Quite so," Dorian assured her.

Cullen scoffed while he sipped to his tea. Evelyn elbowed him lightly in the stomach, before she sent a hard glance at both Dorian and _Lady Jenny_.

"Lady Jenny then, as I was just telling my dearest Evelyn. I would not be alive had it not been for this gentle hearted man next to her in the sofa.

"Is that so? Pray tell, what did this gentleman save your ladyship from?" Sera said as well-mannered as she could muster without laughing.

"Indeed it is. My dear friend, Lady Ornacia and I were on our way to town when someone shot an arrow at the two of us."

Sera fake gasped at the revelation, though she was well aware of the arrow _she_ had fired at her ladyship. "What an outrage."

"Was it not? Fortunately for my friend and I, we were rescued by a debonair gentleman, but you already know how fine a man Lord Pavus are, I'm sure you already do."

"Oh yes," Sera exclaimed, "Lord Pavus and I have known each other long." She gave Dorian a longing look, "had the way of things been different." She sighed, "Were I not an elf, and he a magister of Tevinter!"

Lady Trevelyan gave Dorian a perplexed look, "I'm not sure that I follow."

"What I think _my friend_ is trying to say, is that she wish she could see Tevinter with me. She's so fond of traveling, even if she's a Lady in… Orlais, she's not safe from the slavers of Tevinter."

"You poor thing!" Lady Trevelyan gasped, "It's most atrocious that a noble should not be able to move freely in this world, even if she's an elf."

Sera dipped another biscuit in the milk mug again, "What a wonderful way to view the world. You are _not narrow-minded_ like most nobles I have encountered in my circle."

Unable to sense the elf's sarcasm, Lady Trevelyan took the 'compliment' with great pride. "I do think of myself as a voice for equality."

Evelyn saw that Sera could hardly keep it together anymore. The elf was about to break character and burst out in laughter. This left Evelyn with the most efficient strategy she knew, though she didn't like it; not one bit.

"Mother!" Evelyn said loud enough to muffle Sera's snickering. "You should show our friends here," she stopped to swallow her pride, "The pocket portrait you had the painter do of me when I was but five years old?"

"What a marvelous idea my dear!" Lady Trevelyan exclaimed in sheer ecstasy, "Why didn't I think of it sooner myself?" she jumped off her chair, "It's in your father's study. I'll go and fetch it from him and show it to Lord Pavus." She focused her attention on Dorian, "She was such a sweet girl at that age, _so promising._ It was before… well you know…" she gave her daughter a wary smile before she left for Lord Trevelyan's study.

Evelyn nipped to her tea while she listened to her mother's brisk footsteps fade away. Her father study was in the far end of the East Wing, which gave her at least 5 minutes to scold Sera, and 10 minutes to assess the web of lies.

"Lady Jenny!? What were you thinking Sera?" Evelyn demanded to know.

"What?" Sera shrugged, "Everyone else's got a title. Why shouldn't I? It's easier to gain your mother's approval, if she thinks I'm a bloody socialite of a noble."

"Oh, why didn't I think of that when I introduced myself?" Cullen said sarcastically.

Sera crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, observing the Commander. "Well you should'ave." She finally said, "Her Ladyship would'ave liked you a lot better if you were _Lord Rutherford_."

"It's too late for that anyhow," Dorian said calmly and poured himself a new cup of tea. He offered some to the rest, but everyone else was still nursing their first cup. He sat back down and lifted the tea up to his lips; he blew on it before he took a sip. "Maybe Ser Rutherford should get a lie of his very own."

"What?" Cullen couldn't believe what his friend suggested. "You honestly think I should lie for approval?"

"_Everyone_ lies for approval, dear Commander." Dorian gave him a sly grin. "I'm sure there's something you're not telling _right now_."

Cullen's hand went automatically up to his hair. He smoothed the loose straws that had lurked out of its tidy place. "This is barely a lie."

"Yes, but still a lie. However, it would be a shame if that were the persuasive lie you told to appeal to her Ladyship." Dorian took another sip of his tea. "Whit the Blight came a great loss, many noble houses fell siege to the Darkspawn invasion. I'm sure you could trace your ancestry back to a deceased family tree."

The Commander sighed. "I'd much rather not."

"And you won't have to," Evelyn saind calmly. She gave him a wary sideways glance, "But if you _want_ to tell _one lie_, you should get the opportunity."

Sera flashed Dorian a toothy grin, "Looks like you've morally corrupted Miss Evelyn here."

"It's a shame I'm not a creature of the fade, I would have been such a good Desire Demon."

Cullen sighed and eased back into his seat, "I won't lie for approval." He took Evelyn's hand in his own, "Your approval is the only one I need."

Evelyn leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek, "You gained _that,_ a long time ago." The Commander gave her a heartfelt smile and brushed some hair back her ear. Evelyn reveled in the moment of intimacy, but leaned away when she heard the hurried steps of her reproaching mother.

"Sorry it took me so long," Lady Trevelyan panted. "The Lord demanded to know when you would come see him, he's eagerly awaiting your apologize."

"Did you tell him that I won't do it?"

"Yes, but you know your father. He's not one to take a simple 'no' for an answer. He won't be content until you do what he expects."

"Then he'll be discontent his whole life. I'm not apologizing."

"We needn't worry about that now. What we should be focusing on," Lady Trevelyan pulled a small picture frame she had hidden behind her back, "We _should_ look at this lovely picture instead." She handed the frame to Dorian.

The mage studied the painting; it was smaller than the palm of his hand. He had to lift it a couple of inches away from his eyes to get the clearest view. He snorted when he noticed something on Evelyn's face.

"What, what is it?" Sera said impatiently. She shot up from her chair and yanked the picture out of the mage's hands. She started laughing after a good look. "Is that…" she gasped for air, "a huge booger on your cheek?" She handed the frame over to Cullen so he could inspect the former glory of his lover.

Evelyn groaned.

"Yes Lady Jenny. That is a _booger…_ upon her cheek." Lady Trevelyan answered. "We hired the best portrait painter in the Marches; consequently in the world. He came with great recommendation from our friends, even Marlowe Dumar praised him for the portrait he had painted from him." Her Ladyship sighed, "but he was unfortunately in an _experimental phase_ when he painted our poor Evelyn… he had this notion, that he would only depict the truest of human expression. It sounded marvelous at the time, but the result was displeasing to say the least."

"I think it's endearing," Cullen said. He looked a little shocked that he had said it aloud.

"You're absolutely right Commander!" Lady Trevelyan smiled. A blushing Cullen handed the picture over to her. "I came to love it after Evelyn left. It reminds me of the day we had it painted. Evelyn didn't want to stand still for so long, she was only five after all, but my husband and I promised her a puppy if she stood still the whole time.

"Did she get the puppy?" Sera wanted to know.

"No, unfortunately, Lord Trevelyan thought she was unworthy. He said she had picked her nose and wiped it on her cheek. I could never understand why she would wipe it on her own cheek, why not the dress? The Lord wouldn't hear of it, unfortunately." Lady Trevelyan smiled meekly, "I suspect she just sneezed; she had a cold. Evelyn really wanted a puppy, and stood still the entire time."

"Maybe I should get a puppy now?" Evelyn said.

"You think you've earned it?" Lady Trevelyan joked.

"I think I have."

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p><strong>What do you think? Should I add a puppy (read Mabari) to this fic?<strong>

Thank you all for continued support. I'm especially fond of your wonderful reviews, and I would like to reply to those from chapter two right here, right now!

**Blindluck92**: it's just a phase, she'll grow out of it! If she accepts the maker into her heart, she would no longer have these urges! Don't worry, one does not apologize to racists. He should apologize… somehow (I'll look into it).

**Rebfan90**: Thank you, I love that you always review!

**Ilmiopassato**: I had intended to model both her parents after Elizabeth Bennet's parents (Pride and Prejudice), a high-spirited mother and an even-minded father. Then he suddenly became racist… for some reason… oh well, this story needed an antagonist anyhow. So I'm glad I made them the way you thought they would be!

**KC Pendragon**: Lady Trevelyan has undoubtedly grown up under the belief that the world revolves around the nobilities, and that the most important thing for a woman, is to marry well. Lord Trevelyan… is just a racist sh*t (wow, I actually hate my own creation)

**Guest**: I like you. I like you a lot!

**PetalOfSins**: I had hoped to finish this chapter before I went to bed last night, but alas, I did not. hope you didn't wait too long, it's been at least 4 hours.


	4. Chapter 4

**Of Pranks and Marriage - Part PUPPY!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>When they finished their tea, Lady Trevelyan asked Evelyn to stay back and help her clear the table. "I let Lariana go for the day," she explained. The other guests said their goodnights and left the mother and daughter alone in the library.<p>

Lady Trevelyan began to stack the empty teacups on top of the tray. Evelyn had never seen her mother do 'physical work' prior to this day. She therefore reveled at the sight before she helped by clearing the biscuits away, dearly hoping a certain topic would not come up.

She was not that fortunate.

"So, he loves you then?" Lady Trevelyan giggled. "That's wonderful don't you think?"

Evelyn cringed. She had hoped her mother at least hadn't heard what Dorian said to her. The hug would be easily explainable, his words less so.

"_I think_" Evelyn said and cleared her throat, "You might have misunderstood what you saw and... heard earlier."

Lady Trevelyan gave her a perplexed look. "It seemed as clear as day to me, how could I have misunderstood a man's love confession?"

"Well…" She said, grasping for the right words in her mind, "You're taking what you saw out of context."

"And what _is _the context my dear?"

"Dorian loves me _like a friend_, nothing more."

Lady Trevelyan picked up a white cloth and used it to wipe the surface of the coffee table. "Well, the best marriages spring out of friendships."

"And I'm sure they do," Evelyn sighed, "But I'm also sure that Dorian doesn't want to marry me."

"Why not?" The ladyship threw the cloth on the table in exasperation. She crossed her arms, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing! I did absolutely nothing! I just know that he can't love me the way a husband should love his wife."

"Well I think he wants to marry you... and you should say yes if he asks you, a loveless marriage is better than no marriage."

"I know he won't ask me to marry him."

"And how could you possibly know that? You just met the man and he's telling you he loves you. I give him a week before he's down on his knees, begging for your hand."

"Mother…" Evelyn knew she had to fess up, at least to _some_ of the lies. It would be better for everyone in the long run, especially since everyone had promised to stay until the Spring Salon. Evelyn took a heavy breath before she confessed to her sins, "I have known Dorian and Sera for a while now… they're a part of the Inquisition."

"They're what?" The revelation was too much for her mother to bare standing up. She fell down in her chair, covered her face with her hands and began to sob. "Then they lied to me, _you_ lied to me."

"No-no-no!" Evelyn hurried over to her mother's side. Her ladyship's rapid mood swings was nothing new, Evelyn gently rubbed the lady's back; a 'trick' Hill had learnt her the first time Lady Trevelyan had broken down in front of her. "I'm sure he didn't know we were related when he… _saved _you." Evelyn coaxed, though with little conviction. '_This will have to be my lie_' she thought.

Her closeness and choice of words seemed to calm her down, even if her tone had been somewhat untrue. "Well, I guess you might be right." She wiped her face with the sleeves of her evening gown, "But why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Evelyn smiled, "We never got a chance; you have quite the appetite for conversation."

"I guess I didn't give you the opportunity." Lady Trevelyan giggled, "I feel so embarrassed…"

"No, don't be!" Evelyn said in an assertive tone. "We were the ones who didn't tell the truth… it just seemed a little... inappropriate in front of the _great _Lord Trevelyan."

"You're right. He's not as levelheaded as I am, he would have thrown an even larger fit." Lady Trevelyan put her hand on Evelyn's cheek. "My sweet girl." She let go of her daughter and stood up from the chair. She picked the withe cloth up again and placed it on top of the tea tray, and then she picked up the tray itself. "Go to bed my dear, I'll take this to the kitchen."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, just get some sleep. You deserve to rest."

Evelyn opened the door for her mother so she could more easily carry the tray out of the library, "Goodnight mother."

"Goodnight my dear."

x - X - x

Evelyn felt something scratchy and wet eagerly moving around her cheek. "No, stop Cullen…" Evelyn mumbled, half asleep, waving her hand in front of her face.

"What do you guys do to each other?" Sera wanted to know.

"Nothing weird!" Cullen shrieked.

"I told you to stop Cullen…" Evelyn mumbled again, "We can do it in the morning."

Dorian leaned in and whispered sensually in Evelyn's ear, "Do what my dear?"

Eager to keep his love affairs his own, the Commander shook Evelyn awake before she could reveal anything too embarrassing.

Evelyn sat up, yawned and stretched her arms as far as they could reach. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and blinked a couple of times before she looked at her friends hovering over her. "What's going on?" she asked sullenly, annoyed that they had woken her from her well-deserved slumber.

"This!" Cullen placed a cute, little Mabari puppy on her lap.

"What!?" Evelyn exclaimed. She wrapped her hands around the puppy and brought it up to her face. She couldn't believe how endearing the dog was, and she shrieked in excitement when the pup licked the tip of her nose. "Is this little guy for me?"

"Yes, but only if you're responsible enough to take good care of it," Dorian joked.

"Of course I am! I've lead an army, training a dog will be simple in comparison… but... why did you do this for me?"

Sera leaned in and scratched the puppy behind its ear. "After you let us see that embarrassing portrait of you, we knew you deserved the puppy you were promised."

"You saved the world as well. Saviors deserve puppies."

Evelyn barely paid any attention to Sera or Dorian's words; she was too engrossed in the endearing creature in her hands. "How did you get a Mabari, and _how_ did you find one who would imprint on me?"

Sera continued to show the puppy affection by ruffling the top of the little dog's head, "I stole your brush earlier. I was gonna use it myself, but I thought the stink of it would be enough for this little mongrel to start loving you."

"Keep the brush," The Inquisitor smiled. "Whose idea was this?"

"The Commanders, of course."

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. "I know a Formari not far from here. He used to raise Mabari hounds for the Ferelden nobility, but he moved to the Free Marches after the Blight. He's doing pretty well for himself."

"There are a lot of Fereldens in the Marches now, it's not bad business to breed them here," Sera noted.

Evelyn only cared about her own Mabari. "He's so dear, what should I name him?"

"How about naming him Lord Trevelyan," Sera suggested.

"I'm sure my father would be pleased. Could you imagine me yelling: Don't eat my shoes Lord Trevelyan!"

"Don't piss on the carpet Lord Trevelyan," Sera continued.

"It might be a bit inappropriate," Evelyn laughed. "Besides, this cute little fellow deserves a better name."

"It's a shame Varric's not here. He's good with these sort of things," Dorian noted. Cullen scoffed in disagreement. "What do you suggest, _Commander_?" the mage continued.

"I don't know. The only other Mabari I've been this close to was the Hero of Ferelden's Mabari."

"What did Lady Cousland name hers?"

Cullen furrowed his eyebrows, "_Dog_."

Dorian drew his brows and wrinkled his forehead, "_Dog_? Is she a simpleton?"

"Not that I know of. The way King Alistair always spoke of her, made me think she might be the smartest and most impressive person in existence."

Dorian rolled his eyes. "And I'm sure King Alistair isn't partial to the Hero of Ferelden. It's not like they're married or anything..."

"I actually have a real suggestion," Evelyn interrupted.

"What?" Sera asked with excitement.

Evelyn met Cullen's honeyed eyes. "Would it be okay with you, if I named him Stanton?"

"Oh, no… not at all," he gave her a shy smile. "It's not a name I regularly use."

"Then it's settled." She took the dog up to her face and nuzzled his snout with her nose, "What do you say boy? Do you like the name Stanton?" The puppy barked happily, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Looks like the two of you will be getting along splendidly." Dorian said and yawned, "But alas my dears, I will retire to my room and sleep 'til noon. Do _not_ wake me up."

"Good night Dorian." Evelyn said as the mage left through the door. She gave Sera a stern look, "Good night Sera."

The elf sighed, "Okay, okay. I get a hint..." Sera said and hurried out, but not before she had ruffled the top of Stanton's head a last time.

When the door closed after the her, Evelyn put down her new puppy and grasped for Cullen's hand.

"I've explained everything to my mother."

He sat down on the edge of her bed, "Everything?"

"Well, not _everything_. The shock I would give her with a full disclorsure... she would die and I would be put away for premeditated murder."

Cullen snickered. "Before I met your parents, I was absolutely certain you over exaggerated."

Evelyn smiled, "Then you agree that 'Dragon's den' is a suitable description of this household."

The Commander smirked, "You might even go so far as _The_ _Lair of the High Dragons._"

"I think _The Archdemon's Realm_ would also suffice."

Cullen snickered and leaned in to kiss Evelyn, but the Mabari popped up in front of him and licked him on the lips. He smiled and ruffled the top of the pup's head. "Seems like I've overstayed my welcome."

"I wish you could stay here with me."

"There's nothing I would like more." He kissed her on the hand, "But I have to get back to my room before the servant wake up."

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><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>Ask, and you shall receive… a puppy for the Inquisitor. You go inquisitor!<br>And as always, thank you for your nice reviews. Note that I will in fact do as you wish (though I actually wanted a puppy in here ass well), so you're most welcome to suggest other improvements. I need to fill in the four weeks until the Lady's Spring Salon. I have a lot of ideas for that event, several of Evelyn's inner circle will make an apperance during that week if everything pans out the way I want. Anyone particular you want to see?  
><strong>Blindluck92<strong>: I'm sure we'll Discover the root of Lady Trevelyan's problems, maybe even... well not fix, she's unfixable... but make her see that the Inquisition is more than just a face. Or she might just get in trouble if she meets the wrong person, who knows?

**Rebfan90:** Alas, Evelyn finally got the puppy she so dearly deserved!

**MP**: No need to apologize for your English. At least not to someone who's not a native speaker herself (Norwegian here). It's both a shame and satisfying that Dorian's gay. It adds to the story, though Lady Trevelyan's incredibly oblivious to him being so. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this fic!  
><strong>PetalsOfSin<strong>: I'm so sorry! It _was_ too long to wait, I'm sure! This one took even longer! :( Hope the puppy helps ease the pain :(


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>Of Pranks and Marriage 5<p>

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><p>Evelyn perused the shelf with her father's newest editions to the library. The newer books would usually wind up on the second floor, unless they were particularly old or a first edition; these held their place in shelves or glass cases by the sitting area on the first floor. The third floor held mostly factual books about birds and the bees, in both the figurative and the literal sense.<p>

To Dorian's great amusement, he had found a copy of _The Art of Passionate Love_ by Brother Capria in the… reproductive section of the third floor. Infamously banned by the Chantry, the mage saw no other option than to give the book to the resident Chantry-boy. Evelyn had laughed at Cullen's expression when he perused the first few pages. He had of course refused to read it, but Evelyn suspected (after a rather hefty visit to her room later in the evening) that he had in fact added the work to his syllabus.

While Evelyn let her fingers slide gently across the book titles, Hill slowly walked up to her with a worried expression plastered on her face.

"What's wrong Hill?"

"You see Miss, Evelyn," the elf spoke in a hushed tone, "Your dog just defecated on your mother's carpet."

"Oh no!" Evelyn had just walked Stanton in the atrium, she had made absolute sure that the dog had done both of his businesses before she let him back into the library. "Which one?"

Hill fidgeted with her hands, "Well… he pooped, Miss Evelyn."

"No! I meant which carpet."

"Oh… the one your mother inherited from your grandmother."

"That's like her favorite one!" Evelyn groaned, "Housebreaking a Mabari is harder then I though. I even let the doors to the atrium stay open so he could go outside if he needed to relieve himself again… what do I do now?"

"I will do the best I can, but…"

"But I should prepare for the worst?"

Hill nodded.

Evelyn followed the elf downstairs. The puppy looked at her with curiosity as she approached him. She picked him up and was about to scold him, but his eyes were so tender and warm that she couldn't bear to do it. "Cullen!" Evelyn shouted.

Cullen popped up above her, leaning over the railings on the third level; a leather book in his hands. "What?"

"Would you come downstairs for a minute?" Evelyn pleaded.

"Why?"

She lifted the dog above her head. "Because I need you to reprimand this little fellow."

"No! It's been four days already, you have to learn to discipline him on your own. He won't ever listen to you if you continue to ask me to be the 'bad guy'."

"But I can't! Just look at his face! You're the strict one… come ooooon! I'll be your best friend forever!"

"No! You need to sort this out on your own," Cullen said and walked away from the railing.

"Sera!"

"No!" the elf responded at once. She lounged on the loveseat next to the coffee table, an open book sprawled over her eyes to shield them from the piercing light emitted from a chandelier hovering over her. "Cully's right, you need to toughen up."

"But Seraaa! Pleaseeeee!"

"No!"

Evelyn groaned. "Doriaaaaaaan" she said with the loveliest voice she could muster.

Dorian sat in the chair next to Sera, his arm leaning on the armrest, his hand massaging his temple. The mage sighed and closed the book he attempted to read. "Need I remind you young lady… that you agreed you were responsible enough to take care of a Mabari?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts. You agreed that you were responsible enough, you even said that training a dog would be easier than leading an army."

Evelyn heard a "ha!" from the third floor. She ignored it and put on her cutest expression, pouting lip to boot. "But Dorian." She pleaded.

"Drop the puppy act with me. That only works when your puppy does that to you."

"Well fine!" Evelyn snapped. "I'll do it!" she placed the dog down on the floor. She straighten up, attempting to be both firm and dominant. She looked the dog hard in his warm chocolate eyes. "You… scoundrel!" she mustered to say. The tone was far from assertive, but the dog had not experienced anything other than sweet words and baby talk from its master.

Stanton let out a little whimper. "I'm so sorry!" Evelyn nearly threw herself on the floor when she picked up the puppy again. She held him against her chest and coddled the little creature.

"Evelyn!" Dorian exclaimed.

"But…"

Dorian raised his eyebrow, exuding the assertiveness Evelyn couldn't muster against her puppy. "What?"

She sighed and put the dog back down again. She gave Stanton a hard look, but she didn't falter when he whimpered this time around. "Bad dog!" she said and pointed at the feces on her mother's carpet, "You should be ashamed!" The dog whimpered again and laid down on its back; he began to sprawl around. "No! You will not fool me with your cuteness! Bad dog!"

"Very good Evelyn!" Dorian applauded.

"Now you just have to do this to one of you dies, then you won't have to do it anymore." Sera added.

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><p>"I just don't understand why you would want such a filthy dog! It would have suited you better if you'd gotten a smaller one, or a cat… or even a nug. Nugs are all the rage these days, Lady Ornacia has two you know!" Lady Trevelyan said when she led her dinner guests into the dining room.<p>

Evelyn followed her mother inside with the puppy in her arms. "It suits me better to have a strong war hound." She put Stanton down next her seat. She motioned him to stay in its place. "And don't forget that Ferelden nobilities have favored this breed for a long time!"

"Hah, Ferelden nobility, don't get me started… and what sort of name is _Stanton_ anyway?"

"That would be the dear Commander's middle name, _Madame_." Dorian explained as he sat down in his seat across from Evelyn.

"Oh, I'm sorry Commander! I didn't mean to offend you."

"No offence taken," Cullen said calmly as he seated himself next to Dorian.

"Good. I just think that the name of one's dog should reflect on the owner. You should name him after your father!"

"Please think that through would you?"

"You might be right… your father would certainly be offended if you named a Mabari after him. Stanton might be more suitable, a very _common _Ferelden name… no offence Ser Rutherford."

"None taken."

"Will Sera be joining us?" Lady Trevelyan said and nodded at the empty seat next to Evelyn.

"Yes, she said she would be right down. She had to attend to something before dinner. She said we could start without her."

"Normally, I would not start without all the guests. But I'm simply famished!" Lady Trevelyan rang the bell for supper. "Leriana's still with her mother I'm afraid, so we'll have to pour our own wine again."

"It's no problem your Ladyship," Dorian assured her.

"Oh Lord Pavus, you're _so _good!"

The door opened and the kitchen staff carried the first course in. A bowl of creamed vegetable soup served as the appetizer.

"I hope she won't be long. The soup is much better when it's hot."

The door opened right after her statement.

"I'm sorry my dear, we had to start the first course without you," Lady Trevelyan continued.

"No cause for alarm my dear." Lord Trevelyan answered.

"Oh, you're joining us for dinner… I'll have to send for another plate."

"Why? You have my dinner right here." He took the plates next to Evelyn, "Though I prefer to sit at the end. I _am_ the man of the house after all." He sat down and was about to take the first spoonful when Sera hurried into the dining room.

"Sorry I'm late," she said.

"No need to worry." The Lord answered and smiled, seemingly satisfied that he could show off some his good will. "I just arrived myself. Pour me a glass of whisky would you Lariana?"

Evelyn dropped her spoon down in the soup, "Father!" she said in a brisk tone. "That is _Sera_… not Leriana!"

The lord rolled his eyes. "Oh, so we've replaced the last one? My apologies to you Sera, I can never tell your kind apart." He snickered, "Now, would you please pour me a glass of whisky sweetheart?"

Lady Trevelyan gasped. "No… my dear. She's not one of ours. She came with Lord Pavus, remember?"

Lord Trevelyan took another spoonful of the soup in front of him. "Forgive me Lord Pavus, I had no idea she was yours. Though you're a guest in my house, she will still answer to her master."

"Sera…" Dorian started, but the owner of the name interrupted him before he could speak in her defense.

"No, it's fine Lord Pavus!" The elf hurried over to the bar and poured the whisky as the Lord had requested.

"Lord Trevelyan!" The ladyship said in a strict tone, "She's not a slave! She's _my_ dinner guest. If you have a problem with that, please return to your study and I will have the kitchen send the food there."

"No! Do you honestly expect me to shy away, from _my_ dining room?"

"I expect you to behave civil when we entertain guests. Whomever they may be!"

"Very well! I shall bear with it!" Sera placed the glass next to the Lord.

Unbeknownst to him, Sera had dropped something in his drink. Evelyn was the only one who had full sight of the bar, so she was the only one who witnessed it. "Are you poisoning my father?" Evelyn whispered to the elf when she sat down next to her.

"Only a little bit… nothing deadly," Sera whispered back.

"What did you give him?"

"It's like this alright… Stanton won't be the only one who's shitting himself. You might even get to blame that carpet spill on your father."

Evelyn couldn't keep her laugh in.

"And what's so funny young lady?" Lord Trevelyan said; his words drenched in venom.

Evelyn perked up, "nothing father." She let her hand fall down to the side and used it to ruffle the top of Stanton's head. The dog barked happily with the sudden display of affection.

"By the Maker, what is that thing?" Lord Trevelyan demanded to know when he noticed the pup next to his daughter.

"This father," Evelyn smiled proudly, "Is my new dog Stanton."

"A Mabari? Do you have no shame?"

Lady Trevelyan rose from her chair. "I'll get Lady Jenny's soup." She said.

"I can get it." Cullen offered as he rose from his chair, eager to be away from the Ferelden hostile environment.

"Would you be so kind? Please tell them that his lordship joined us for dinner as well."

Cullen nodded and vanished through the door leading to the kitchen.

"Anyone care for a drink?" Dorian offered.

"A tankard of wine for me…" Evelyn said and rubbed her temple.

"A tankard of wine? Don't you think that's a little excessive?" her mother said in a worried tone.

"I'm not sure it's enough." The daughter replied. She gave Dorian a smile when he handed her the tankard.

"Anyone else want anything?"

Lord Trevelyan finished his drink, "Freshen this up for me would you?"

Dorian nodded and took the glass. He filled it up with whisky, and poured a glass of red wine for himself. He walked back and handed the Lord his whisky before he sat down.

The Lord took another sip and studied his daughter with a hard look plastered on his face. "Where did you get that mongrel?" he demanded to know.

"He was a gift."

"From that Fereldener?" he asked accusingly.

"It was a gift from all of us, Lord Trevelyan." Dorian answered, Sera nodded in agreement. She was too anxious for the lord to crap his pants to be any part to the actual conversation.

Dorian's involvement in the scheme seemed to appease the Lord, if only a little. "You should have given her a better breed."

Evelyn gritted her teeth. "What breed could be better than a Mabari, father?"

"Well…" The Lord started, but he was interrupted by a burp. "Excuse me," he said, his face slowly turned a deep shade of red.

Sera sat at the tip of her seat and eagerly awaited her impending victory over the Lord.

"Huh," Lord Trevelyan wiped his forehead with a napkin. "Is it warm in here?" He suddenly widened his eyes. "Excuse me!" He nearly shouted and ran out of the room, passing by Cullen in the doorway.

"That man and his drinking," Lady Trevelyan said under her breath. She sighed, "It seems like the Lord has taken ill…" She directed her attention to Cullen, "Would it be too much to ask if you went and informed the kitchen again?"

Cullen bowed and left the dining room again.

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><p><strong>Blindluck92<strong> and **LadyDragon1316**, you guys rock! You're inspiring as always.

I fixed the things you noted **LadyD**, and how 'bout that housebreaking though?  
>Thanks <strong>Rebfan90<strong>! Saviors DO deserve puppies after all!

I adore you **QeenFreckles** (your name makes me think of Scout Harding, iihhhh! She's so Adorable!). For the sake of content, I think it will be a while before I let them know though, somewhere near the Spring Salon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Pransk and Marriage Part 6**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>x - X - x<p>

* * *

><p>"How is his Lordship, Lady Trevelyan?" Dorian inquired as they sat down for evening tea. The Lady had excused herself after dinner to check up on her husband.<p>

"Oh, he's very ill I'm afraid." She replied as she prepared the tea. "Though he will not receive any sympathy from me. Not this time! A grown man should know better than to drink himself sick." She placed a cup of tea in front of everyone. She even went out of her way to place a little milk mug next to Sera for the elf to dip her biscuits in.

"How thoughtful of you mother." Evelyn noted in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Lady Trevelyan scoffed. "I would appreciate if you didn't use that tone with young lady. You know I pride myself on being a good hostess for my esteemed guests."

"Esteemed is the word," Evelyn muttered under her breath, glancing at Cullen; Lady Trevelyan's 'least' noble visitor.

"Besides…" Lady Trevelyan continued. "Lady Jenny left a whole lot of crumbs in the milk jug when she used it for her biscuits last time. I don't particularly like crumbs in my tea."

"My apologies mam," Sera said while she stuffed her face full of baked goods, too engrossed in the sweets to fake her speech. "I'm not used to sharing."

"Nor should you be! You're a Lady after all; ladies have the privilege to take what they want." She sipped her tea. "Sharing is for commoners," she said and giggled.

Evelyn kicked her lightly in the shin. "Mother!" she exclaimed.

"Watch your behavior young Lady!" Lady Trevelyan squawked. "Just ask the Commander if he's not used to sharing. Then you'll see!" She gave Cullen a hard look, "Tell her!"

It was obvious that the subjects made Cullen uncomfortable. "Ehm.. I can't speak for _all_ commoners. But growing up in the Templar Order, you're not supposed to own anything. Your uniform, shield, sword, bed, clothes… they're all owned by the Chantry."

Lady Trevelyan looked a little baffled by his reply. "You know Commander; I keep forgetting that you're a Templar."

"Well… used to be a Templar."

"The Trevelyans are known as a devout family, are they not?" Dorian shot in, steering the conversation and the attention away from the Commander. Cullen gave him a grateful look and went back to nursing his tea.

She nodded in agreement. "You are quite right Lord Pavus, as always. Though we in the main house are responsible for keeping the estate alive, most of our extended relatives in the lesser houses keep posts in the Chantry as well as the Templar Order." Lady Trevelyan gave Evelyn a meek smile and petted her hand, "Our Tyrion intended to join the Templars so he could watch over Evelyn when she moved away."

"Who's Tyrion?" Sera asked, mouth full of biscuits.

The elf's question confused Lady Trevelyan. "He's Evelyn's older brother of course. Or well… funny story. They're actually twins but they were born a day apart, so we would always tease Ev…"

"I had an idea mother!" Evelyn eagerly interrupted. "I was thinking that I needed a new set of gowns for the ball and the Spring Salon."

As a bird with a shiny object, this was always the best way to distract her mother. "What a marvelous idea my dear!" Lady Trevelyan enthused, "I will call for the seamstress tomorrow. I have the perfect dress in mind for you! Peach colored with golden draping, how wonderful it would go with your complexion!"

Dorian snickered at her tacky suggestion. "That sounds like a wonderful dress Lady Trevelyan."

"Oh, doesn't it!?" Lady Trevelyan could hardly contain her excitement. In all the years Evelyn had lived on this earth, she had never been interested in clothes, far less ball gowns.

"Tyrion Trevelyan… I know that name," Cullen mused out in the air.

Lady Trevelyan lost her gleeful expression. "Ahh… You might have met him at the Conclave, Commander. Lord Trevelyan sent him there to represent our family."

The Commander scratched his head, "Might be. But, my men and I were delayed on our way to Haven. We only arrived a few moments before the explosion… Maybe I heard the name in passing when we…" Cullen realized why Evelyn had never mentioned her brother. "Oh."

"First we lost our son to the Breach… and in his wake we lost our daughter to the Inquisition. Worst of all, we heard rumors that she had killed him… him and everyone else. Then we heard that she was the Herald of Andraste… she was called a heretic by our neighbors and friends. Some vowed never to speak with us again; they claimed we schemed to improve our family's position." Lady Trevelyan sighed. "Nor did we receive much news that suggested otherwise."

Evelyn side-glanced at the elf next to her. Sera seemed a little troubled by how her actions had affected the Lady. With help from Leliana, she and her Red Jenny contacts made sure that only official letters from Josephine would reach the Trevelyans. Other letters containing information about the Inquisition withheld from her parents.

Lady Trevelyan directed her attention to Evelyn. "Don't worry my dear," she said in a warm, reaffirming tone. "When rumors about your part in the Orlesian Civil War surfaced, most of our bannorn agreed to stay put. And when you defeated that _thing_. We received pledges by knights from other bannorns. Just imagine how grand our estate would become if you took your place at the helm." The thought of a grander estate seemed to approve her mood.

Evelyn sighed in exasperation. "I don't want to talk about this. Not now… not ever!"

"Just think about your responsibility to this house!" Lady Trevelyan scolded. "Honestly, if you don't pick up this post. Someone from the lesser house will swoop right in and take your place."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, '_Swooping is bad'_ she thought sarcastically. "Then produce a new heir!"

"Don't be absurd! We're far past my prime. No, you must take responsibility!"

"I already have enough responsibility with the Inquisition! Would it be so bad if the estate went to someone else? Who is next in line?"

"Your cousin Isaac." Lady Trevelyan huffed, as he was the worst possible option.

"Isaac's not that bad. He's mastered modest in temper!" _'Though the first part of our heraldry was lost to the reigning Lord and Lady.'_

"Well, he's certainly not bold in deed! He's a meek little boy, he can't fill your brothers place! It's out of the question! You should be the heir! I would rather die than see the main line perish under our care."

She couldn't take her mother's antics anymore. She had been pushed too far to take it in her stride. "Maybe you're lucky and die before that happens!"

The venomous words made Lady Trevelyan well up, "Evelyn… That was most unkind!"

Evelyn knew she had stepped over a line she had never intended to cross, but she was not in the mood to console her mother, not while being this emotional. "Good night mother! I will see you tomorrow." She said briskly and shot up from her seat, intent on leaving the day behind.

"Don't you dare walk out on me young lady!" Lady Trevelyan yelled as her daughter left the library.

x - X - x

Evelyn flung herself on her bed and covered her face with the silk bed sheets. Stanton jumped up on the bed to keep her company. The little dog fumbled around for a while, until he found Evelyn's face beneath the fabric. Unmoved by her tears, he began to lick her face. It tickled a little and Evelyn had to giggle.

"You always know what to say," she smiled and petted the pup on its head. "I wish you were my mother… it would have been a lot easier." Stanton didn't seem to think this was such a bad idea, and barked happily.

While she cuddled the Mabari, someone knocked softly on her door. In want of some time alone, she didn't respond at first, but the person on the other side of the door was persistent. Evelyn sighed, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Cullen called from the other side of the door.

"In a minute!" She replied and jumped off her bed. She hurried over to the mirror on her dressing table. She wiped away her tears and hoped it would be enough to hide the fact that she had been crying. She dabbed a little powder on her cheeks to hide the redness. She promptly ran over to the door and opened it, but only so much so they could see each other's faces. "What's up?" she said nonchalantly.

"May I enter?"

"I'm not sure you should. It's a bit indecent for a man to visit an unmarried woman after her bed time."

"It's barely past seven in the evening." Cullen gave her his usual half-smirk, "And it's not like you've been decent about your bed time before."

She couldn't argue with that. Evelyn opened the door for him. "You're so depraved," she joked and sat down on her bed, focusing all her attention on Stanton.

"I'm sorry I brought up your brother."

"You didn't… my mother did." Evelyn said curtly.

Cullen sighed and seated himself next to her. "You know what I mean. You had perfectly captured her attention, and I _had_ to bring him up again."

"She would have brought him up again eventually. She loves to talk about him… or used to at least." Evelyn smiled meekly.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Evelyn took Cullen's hand in hers. "You told me about your demons; it's only fair that I talk about mine."

She closed her eyes to keep herself from crying, the memory of him was too painful to bear with them open. "It is as my mother said. We were twins, but he was born just before midnight, and I a couple of hours later. We were very close, but he used to mock me and say that I should look up to him as a big brother. With his two hours head start, he had seen the world far more than I had." She opened her eyes and smiled at the warm memory of her brother, "And we absolutely _refused_ to share our birthday with each other. Our parents had to hold two separate parties for us."

"But…" She clenched Cullen's hand. "When we discovered my magical abilities, Tyrion pledged to join the Templars and follow me to the circle. We had never been apart before, as you could imagine, and he wanted to take care of me – like a _real_ big brother. He never joined, however… and I felt so betrayed. We lost touch and didn't speak for several years. Not until…"

"Until you met him at the Conclave?"

Evelyn nodded. She reclaimed her hand and used it to wipe the tears rolling down her cheek. She leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. She sniffled a few times before she was able to continue, her hands still covering her face. "I stopped visiting my family when it became clear that he wouldn't join me, it was obviously very selfish of me... but I felt so alone and betrayed. But after seeing you kick your lyrium addiction, I'm glad he never did…"

"How did he respond… when he saw you again?"

"It was so surreal, to see him there. He embraced me, and he was genuinely happy to see me again, even after how I behaved towards him. I guess we both thought we would patch things up eventually, and we sort of did. Even in silence, the two of us could convey our feelings to each other. Everything seemed resolved… then the sky opened and we lost each other again… I'm sorry I never told you about him."

"Don't be! It took me ten years to talk about my time during the Blight!"

She sniveled again. "Honestly, I'm amazed that Leliana and Josephine never told anyone about him. I'm sure they knew about our relation."

"They have experienced enough loss to know when it's not up for exploitation."

Evelyn lifted her head and sat up so she could lean on Cullen. "I'm sure you're right."

They sat in silence for a while, until Evelyn rubbed her eyes and replenished the conversation. "I'm getting tired… I should probably sleep."

"Then it's time for me to leave." The Commander said and kissed her on the forehead.

"No... Please stay would you?"

Cullen lifted his eyebrow, "Are you sure that is wise? What if anyone sees me here?"

"After how rude I was to my mother? I'm sure you sleeping here would be the least of my worries."

Cullen snickered, "You're probably right."

They scooched further in on the bed. Cullen intended to hold Evelyn in his arms until she fell asleep, but the Mabari was even more intent on sleeping in-between them. They contented themselves with holding hands above Stanton's head.

"Oh, before I forget." Cullen nudged in Evelyn's hand.

"What's that?" she replied lazily, half asleep.

"Dorian said he had urgent _business _in Kirkwall, he'll be leaving in the morning."

Evelyn scoffed, "How did my mother take it?"

"She wasn't pleased that he didn't want to bring you along. She insisted that it would be good for you to get away for a few days."

"I think she would have been less eager if she knew the real reason he's visiting Kirkwall. I don't think she wants me to be in a joint relationship with Dorian and Bull."

"I suspect you're right." Cullen said as he yawned. "He had to assure her that his leaving was already planned, and didn't have anything to do with your behavior tonight."

"How long will he be gone?"

"He wasn't completely sure. He said the errand might take a few days, four at most."

"Well… Lucky Bull."

XXX

**A/N: **_Please don't scold me too much._ I know this became a little bit angsty…

In the mage origin for Inquisition, they never mention any siblings, only that her life had been altered by the magical abilities, so I'm not sure if she has any siblings with that origin… but I remembered that she was the youngest daughter of Lord Trevelyan if she was a rogue/warrior. This have bothered me for a while, and I just had to add a brother for it to make more sense. Sorry 'bout his death though, but death is not uncommon in Bioware (I'm looking at you ME3!). The deed is done, and he serves as one of the reasons why the Lord and the Lady aren't quite satisfied with the Inquisition, which kind of works better then what I had actually planned.

As always, thanks for following, favoring and especially reviewing. My favorite part of the day is whenever I receive a new mail from this site.

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><p><strong>ClaireBrink<strong>: How nice! I hope you'll continue to enjoy it. Even with the melodrama.

**LadyDragon1316**: As always, you're welcome to give Lord Trevelyan a real smackaroony. Though Sera are well equipped to give him the pain you want. Evelyn is maturing, little by little. She's in her early twenties in my mind, so adulthood is slowly making its way.

**PetalofSins**: PUPPIES!

**KC Pendragon**: I think you're right. Evelyn is not responsible enough to reproduce, even if her baby daddy is the most pragmatic man in all of Thedas.

**Guest**: Laxative is the right way to go if you want to vanquish your enemies! It seems Evelyn is on her way, though slowly. It wouldn't be a good story without Varric and Bianca ;)

**Michael 13**: Thank you so much! Trust me, Lord Trevelyan haven't seen anything yet!

**Romanceobessed**: Thank you so much, I love you so far as well! With Dorian gone for a couple of days, I'm sure the Lord and the Lady would take bigger interest in the Commander. I'm anxious to write the reaction as well, I know how the father will react… her mother is changing, If only a little, and might be open to the idea. We'll just have to see I guess.

**Rebfan90**: Oh! Thank you so much! Stay tuned for other epic pranks in the future!

**Sunnysoul**: Your review made my day! Cullen is well acquainted by tactless nobilities, he have certainly experienced his fair share of ignorance.

Lady Trevelyan is my favorite person to write for. She's so wonderfully over the top! The truth of her relationship with Cullen will commence soon, I think. Though not without a whole lot of melodrama from the Trevelyans.


	7. Chapter 7

**Of Pranks and Marriage 7**

This was originally two separate chapters, but they seemed a bit too short to post as one each. Thus the weird segway in the middle of the story.

Other than that, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age.

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><p>Uneager to seize a day filled of her mother's drama and other antics; Evelyn made the bold decision to stay in bed when the bell rang for breakfast. She expected her mother to storm in and demand her attendance; but she received no such attention from Lady Trevelyan.<p>

With only Stanton as company, the Inquisitor was left to her own devices until noon. That's when Dorian stopped by to say his goodbyes before leaving for Kirkwall. He seated himself on the end of her bed and retold the uncomfortable morning they all had lived through without her. Sparing no detail of her father's unkind remarks and her mother's passive aggressive comments on her behavior the previous evening.

"She said you were quite the little drama queen for boycotting the breakfast." Dorian finished.

Evelyn gritted her teeth, "She said what?" Her sudden change in temper woke the sleeping Mabari in her lap. The puppy tried to cheer her up by licking her hand in the cutest way possible, but it was to no avail.

Not used to seeing his master this serious, the Stanton whimpered and stalked over to Dorian's end of the bed, burrowing his head into the mage's lap. He petted the little dog on the head before he continued. "She saw it as a great slight on her."

"Of course she did. Because everything is about her… how insensitive of me!" She added sarcastically. Evelyn sighed in exasperation, "I'm sorry you had to sit through that."

Dorian smirked and ruffled the top of Stanton's head. "Oh, don't feel sorry for me my dear. You should worry about Sera and Cullen instead. All this drama just makes it feel like home."

Evelyn rolled her eyes in response. "Be sure to tell mother that before you leave. Maybe she'll actually believe you intend to come back."

"Well of course I want to come back!" He enthused. "How can I not, everything has turned out so juicy lately. It almost makes me regret planning this trip to Kirkwall."

"Then stay!" Evelyn begged, "I need a buffer!"

"I wish I could dearest, but Bull and the Chargers have been hired by an Antivan merchant. It's unclear when they'll be back." He gestured for the Mabari to return to his master. Stanton walked nervously over to Evelyn, but was unsurprisingly happy when she welcomed him back to her side.

"Well…" Dorian said as he rose from the bed. "If everything goes wrong, you could always have Sera poison both your parents."

"There's always a silver lining." She answered dryly. "Oh, before I forget!" Evelyn exclaimed when Dorian turned to the door. He looked at her with mild surprise as she stretched her body to the bedside table. She opened the drawer and pulled out a stack of white envelopes. "Mother said I could invite some friends. Would you mind sending these once you arrive in Kirkwall?"

"And why can't you have one of the servants do this?" Dorian responded when he reached for the envelopes. He flipped through the stack and perused the names written on them, his eyes eagerly bouncing from left to right.

"Because the letters would first go through my mother's hands for final approval. Then they would go through father's office. Three letters would make it, maybe four." Dorian nodded as he mouthed the name Varric. "_Then_" Evelyn continued. "They would somehow fall in Sera's hands…"

"And she would leave her mark on them." Dorian finished. He raised an eyebrow when he read the last envelope. "I couldn't help but notice Vivienne's absence… oh my bad, I mean _Divine Victoria._"

"As much as I appreciate her scrutinizing," Evelyn said as she stretched her arms above her head, making her shoulders crack a little. "I thought it would be better if I left her off the guest list. She's far too busy to attend parties anyhow."

"Well, she _is _reestablishing the Circles. Though it would be utterly hilarious to witness your mother interact with her."

"We're _not_ adding more fuel to that fire."

"I guess you're right. I'll be sure to send these letters. I think I'll even visit Varric in the Hanged Man and deliver his personally." Dorian smiled reassuringly. "Well, it's time for me to take my leave. Hopefully I'll be in Kirkwall by this time tomorrow." He leaned in and kissed Evelyn on the top of her head. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone would you? I don't want to miss a thing while I'm away!"

"You're so mean!" Evelyn groaned. "Say hi to Bull for me would you?"

"If I can remember it," Dorian winked.

x - X - x

Little of consequence occurred while Dorian tended to his business.

Lady Trevelyan had sent for the tailor as they had discussed the night before his departure, resulting in new clothes for Evelyn, as well as Sera and Cullen. Lady Trevelyan attended the fitting, but said little to Sera and nothing to her daughter. The tailor took his sweet time, which resulted – to most everyone's satisfaction – in no dinner that evening.

The days that followed was uncomfortable at best. Lord Trevelyan – in lack of better company – focused his attention on the former Templar, to Cullen's great discomfort. Lady Trevelyan on the other hand fixated on how Dorian's leaving was all Evelyn's fault, and the somewhat harmonious relationship between them was long gone.

The remarks became less passive aggressive and more aggressive as the days passed. When they finally got a letter from Dorian two days after he should have return, the mage had to apologize for his absence and regrettably inform the _Madame_ that he would stay out the week before he departed from Kirkwall.

This made Lady Trevelyan erupt like a volcano. She lashed out on her daughter and scolded her for letting a prosperous opportunity slip through her fingers. Evelyn – who had kept her temper in check for the past few days – lost her temper and said every venomous word she could think of in response. This of course led Lady Trevelyan to tears, because she "did _not_ deserve to be treated this way". She then stormed off to Hill and made the elf arrange a carriage for her so she could be with Lady Ornacia, because "Lady Ornacia cared about other people's feelings," and opted to stay there until Dorian returned.

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><p>Lost in the warmness of the day, Evelyn let her back fall against the grass; her body nearly consumed by the red and yellow tulips embracing her. She had finally some time of her own.<p>

She freed her mind and watched the ever-changing clouds paving their way across the blue sky. She saw a rabbit, and it reminded her of her dear friend Cole. She snickered and closed her eyes, eager to remember times spent with the odd spirit turned human.

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that the sky had donned the colors of the tulips. She concluded that she must have drifted off for a few hours. Well rested, she sat up and looked as the sun disappeared beneath the meadow.

She felt appease when the stars began to pop up above her. This was where she belonged. In a blooming meadow with the sun and the moon as her companion. Everlasting bliss, away from fear, anger and… wait?

Loud cries of pain consumed the silence and demanded her attention. She used her hands to push herself up from the ground. She frantically skimmed the open field for the source of the plea, but her eyes saw nothing more but tulips illuminated by the moonlight.

She scratched her head. Had she imagined it?

The mage shrugged her shoulders and decided to stretch her body. She shook her arms and legs, easing the stiffness in her joints. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, she felt completely relaxed again.

Her eyes popped open when she heard the same cry a second time. It was much louder this time, and it sounded somewhat familiar. She spun around, trying to spot the person in peril. When she couldn't see anything, she began to run in no particular direction.

She ran a solid five minutes before she heard the cries for a third time. It seemed like she was closer to the source. Evelyn stopped and panted as she tried to regain her breath. She looked around and noticed a cabin behind her.

_'__Where did that come from?_' She wondered to herself. She walked up to it slowly.

It was four-walled cobblestone cabin with a single window. Evelyn tried to see through it, she used her hands to shield her eyes from the moonlight reflecting in the window. There was nothing on the other side, just a dark room without furniture. Not that she had expected anything from a cabin without a door.

She stepped away from the window and noticed that dark clouds had consumed the bright night sky. The sudden change in weather made her feel like all the warmth in her body had vanished with the moon and the stars.

A purple light broke through the window and grabbed her attention. She leaned back in to see the source of the light. Someone had created a protective barrier. She focused on the figure inside the barrier. It looked like a man's figure. The person stood on his knee, head bowed and folding his hands as if he was praying to the Maker.

The man suddenly shifted his posture. He used his hands to cover his ears. When he screamed Evelyn could finally see his face.

Her eyes widened. "Cullen!" Evelyn gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. There was no question about it; I was Cullen… only younger! She watched as the man she loved cried in agony. She began to bang on the glass, hoping to break it; but it was too sturdy.

Evelyn stopped the banging and began to look for stones on the ground. If she could find one big enough, she could possibly break the glass.

"There!" she said as she found a nice sharp one. She picked it up and readied herself, but someone grabbed her arm when she was about to throw the stone through the window.

"I wouldn't do that," a familiar voice spoke.

"But I _need_ to help him!" Evelyn responded, choking on the lump in her throat.

"You know what will happen if you break that glass."

Evelyn lowered her arm and dropped the stone down on the ground. "Why are you here?"

"Because I could sense you needed me."

"Tyrion!" Evelyn cried and burrowed her face in her brother's chest.

Tyrion wrapped his arms around her. "Shh, shh. Everything will be all right."

"I miss you…" Evelyn whispered.

"But you won't have to. Now we can stay here together."

The thought of staying with her brother for eternity made her smile. She closed her eyes and let his warmth overpower the coldness. "That sounds nice," she murmured.

"Evelyn!" Someone cried out to her.

Tyrion's figure suddenly evaporated. Without the support from her brother, Evelyn fell down on the ground.

"Evelyn!"

She didn't respond to her name.

The warmth was gone, she didn't care.

There was nothing to care about anymore.

"Evelyn!" Solas tossed himself down on his knees next to her. "Are you still there?" He leaned in and studied her eyes. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was still her.

"It's raining…" Evelyn noted without intonation.

Solas used his staff to cast dispel, transporting them back to the tulip meadow.

The familiar place seemed to revitalize her, and she managed to force herself up in a sitting position. She used her hands to rub away the tears from her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Because I'm Your friend," Solas answered and used his staff to rise up from the ground. He began to walk away from her.

"Where are you now? Why did you leave? How did you find me?" Evelyn demanded to know.

The questions lingered for a moment.

"You need to wake up."

x - X - x

Evelyn woke with a loud gasp for air. She clutched her chest and panted heavily.

"You're back!" Cullen said in a relieved tone.

His presence startled her. She clearly remembered that she'd gone to bed alone.

"That's good innit?," Sera sighed.

"How do you feel?" Dorian leaned over her, worry evident in his tone.

She ran her hands through her hair nervously. "What happened?"

No one seemed eager enough to tell her. Evelyn lifted her head and noticed the bow in Sera's hand and the Sword in Cullen's.

"Oh," she said breathlessly.

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><p><strong>AN: **Thanks for your continued support and patience. As always, I live for your reviews and I enjoy responding to them.

**Clairebrink**: Yay, glad you liked it! Then Tyrion will stay. Gotta say I love that name. As Varric would note 'naming is the worst part', it's therefore perfectly acceptable to steal names from Game of Thrones J

**Rebfan90**: Bull is extremely lucky, 'cuz he got almost an extra week with Dorian.

**Redrosemary**: Aww! Glad you liked it, sorry I used so long to update!

**CouslandGW**: Thank you so much for your review! I really wondered what they would do after that as well. Most stories I read have all resulted in babies with these two, so I thought I would do something different. A puppy will do just fine for now. (And I didn't mind your language one bit. If you've done the FCE you have a higher English education than I. I'm not sure I could write at all without the power of Microsoft Office)

**Blindluck92**: She has killed 10 dragons and a God, she always had it in her. However, Dorian and Sera's antics are some of my favorite parts.

**Bunsabuns**: Cullen… Dreamy? I mean, I've only romanced him every time because it's impossible not to… And wow, thank you for thanking me. Seriously, I'm still smiling from that one. Ten days later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Of Pranks and Marriage Part 8**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p>Dorian sat down on the bed next to Evelyn. He placed both his hands on her face and examined her eyes. "It seems like it's still empty in there," he said and let his hands fall down in his lap.<p>

"Yes, what a _polite_ way of saying it…" she replied, too weakened to make up a snarky response to his jab.

"You sure it's just _her_?" Sera said warily, her bow still drawn and aimed at Evelyn. "How can you tell?"

Cullen lowered his weapon and walked over to the two mages. Evelyn noticed that the Commander tightened the grip on his sword when he sat down next to her. He leaned in and examined her eyes the same way Dorian had.

"She seems fine," the former Templar declared.

"Yeah you say that, but _how_ can you be certain?" The elf responded, still unconvinced.

"I'm not possessed Sera!"

Sera drew the arrow a little further. "Exactly what a demon would say!"

"How would you want _me_ to say it? There's no other way! Should I write you a formal letter declaring me free of demons?"

The elf stood for a minute, measuring Evelyn. "Maybe you should… I've never heard of a demon who could write letters."

"She's not possessed Sera." Dorian persuaded.

She aimed her bow at Dorian, "What if the demon jumped into you when you looked her in the eyes."

"That's not how possession works Sera." Cullen said and rubbed his temple.

Sera gritted her teeth, "Then explain it."

"If we were to do that, dear Sera. We would all risk natural death from old age before a demon attack."

She scowled at Dorian. "Well, you're no abomination…" The elf said and lowered her bow. "Not yet anyhow".

Cullen dropped his sword to the ground so he could have both his arms free to embrace Evelyn. "I was so worried for you." He whispered into her air. "You kept calling for me in your sleep."

"Oh," Evelyn said as she blushed. "I'm glad you were here with me." She murmured back. She fell silent for a moment before she raised her head and directed a question to everyone in the room. "How long was I out for?"

"Nearly a day." Dorian replied next to her.

Evelyn widened her eyes. "A day!?"

"By the maker," Sera sighed and let go of her aim. She was far too tired to bare the rest of the conversation standing up, but she was still wary with the mages. The elf dropped therefore down in the leaning chair next to the end of the bed. She held the bow tightly in her lap and raised her feet to rest them on the bed.

Dorian cleared his throat grandly. "It might have been two if I hadn't come back a day early." The mage declared.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "A day early he says."

"Just be glad I'm back at all my dear. If I hadn't been, we might have never pulled you out of the fade. Imagine how awkward it would have been for Cullen or Sera to kill you."

"Well…" Evelyn responded and leaned back on her pillow, studying the inside of the canopy. I'm not certain you're the one who pulled me out."

"It wasn't me." Cullen said and laid down next to her.

"I wasn't talking about you either."

"Who then?" Sera chimed in from the other end of the bed.

"Solas…"

"Solas?" Dorian said and raised his eyebrow. "No. That's impossible isn't it?"

Evelyn shrugged her shoulders. "It's not the first time we've met in the fade."

"You meet Solas regularly in your dreams?" Cullen asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"No," she answered, equally annoyed by his insinuation. "It's not a common occurrence… but I've met him beyond the veil before. He walks the fade when he's asleep, always watching, always learning. He must have sensed that I was in danger of possession, or he would never have shown himself."

"Did he tell you where he was, or why he left?"

"I tried to ask him. But he walked away as soon as we were away from the demons."

"Demons? As in the plural of demon?" Sera asked warily, tightening the grip on her bow.

"Yes Sera."

"It's most uncommon. Is it not Commander?" Dorian inquired the former Templar.

Cullen scratched the top of his head. "It's usually one demon. One demon exploiting emotional stress and inner turmoil." He turned his gaze to Evelyn. "What do you remember?"

"Honestly… I'm not entirely sure." She closed her eyes in attempt to visualize the event behind the veil, hoping it would help her remember it better. "First… I was in a tulip field; It's a place I visit often when I'm in control. Then I fell asleep, I guess. I woke up and heard Cullen screaming in agony."

The Commander shifted a little next to her. "It was probably then you started calling for me."

Evelyn nodded. "You were trapped inside a house. You had shielded yourself in a barrier. I tried to break the window with my hands, but I wasn't strong enough. I found a sharp stone on the ground that I intended to throw at the glass." The mage stopped her narration and took a deep breath before she continued. "But someone grabbed my hand so I couldn't throw the rock."

"Was it Solas?" Dorian inquired.

"No. It was… someone else."

"Who?" Sera had perked up and sat on the edge of her seat, spellbound by the story.

"Tyrion." Evelyn whispered. "He wanted me to stay with him." She opened her eyes and gave Cullen an apologetic look. "I said yes."

The Commander gave her a meek smile. "You don't have to apologize." He said fully aware of how persuasive a desire demon can be. He took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's okay."

"Hmmm." Dorian sounded on the other side of Evelyn. "It sounds like a terror demon and a desire demon to me. Good thing Solas was there. Terror demons are one thing, but desire demons..."

"Where are my parents?" Evelyn said suddenly, all too eager to change the subject for a little while.

"Your mother is still with Lady Ornacia." Cullen responded. "We haven't told her that Dorian is back yet."

"I see," Evelyn nodded slowly. "And my father… and the staff?"

"The staff knows about your… predicament."

"But we had to poison your father." Sera said nonchalantly. "He was asking a lot of questions."

Evelyn raised her eyebrow. "You had to kill him?"

"No, no, no! I just slipped some strong sedative in his drink at dinner." The elf explained. "He'll be asleep until tomorrow that one."

"Lord Trevelyan shouldn't trust you with his refreshments."

"And yet he does." Sera shrugged. "It has worked out pretty well so far. He hasn't caught me yet. If…"

Dorian cut her off. "We're getting off topic." He declared. "We should figure out a way to ensure that Evelyn won't fall into the temptation of another desire demon.

"We could cut off Ev's legs." Sera said casually. "If we make her a dwarf, she can't cross the veil."

"Oh. I'm sure _that_ would work. Why don't you go fetch the saw?" Evelyn responded sarcastically.

The Tevinter coughed into his hand to get everyone's attention. "What we should do…"

"What we should do," Cullen said and broke off Dorian. "Is to let Evelyn get some rest now."

"Someone should watch her." Sera suggested.

"I will do it." Cullen declared.

Both Sera and Dorian rose from their seats and walked to the door. The elf was the last one to leave. "I'm right next door. Shout if there's a demon attack." She said before she followed Dorian.

"Good night Sera." The Commander responded.

Evelyn didn't speak until she heard Sera close the door in her own bedroom. "I don't want to go back to sleep." She said sullenly.

The Commander wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to. We could talk if it makes you feel better."

She shook her head in response. "I don't want to talk… not right now."

"Do you mind if I do some work while I'm here then? Dorian brought me some old files from Kirkwall I have to go through."

"Sure. I like seeing you work." She sat up and pointed at his forehead. "You get a vein right here when someone doesn't uphold your standards of formal writing."

Cullen rose from the bed and flashed her his usual smirk. "That vein won't make and appearance tonight my love." He said and walked to Evelyn's desk by the fireplace. He lifted a pile of files and paper that rested on top of the desk and carried it over to Evelyn's bed. He placed the stack on the bedside table and made himself comfortable with the first file.

Evelyn wrapped her comforter around her and looked around the room. She noticed that the fireplace wasn't lit. No wonder she was so cold. She wanted to light it, but saw that there was no firewood in her room. She supposed the servants had kept their distance while she was in her grim state. She also noticed the absence of a certain Mabari.

She turned her head to the Commander next to her in bed. "Where's Stanton?"

"He's with Hill. He was so rowdy when you didn't wake up; we had to get him out of the room."

"I see." Evelyn said and leaned back against the headboard. She studied Cullen while he read through the white sheets of paper. She couldn't see what he read, but she recognized his neat handwriting. To her great amusement however, the vein had made its appearance after all.

She snickered and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Seems like your own writing displeases you." She noted.

"I know I was young when I wrote these… but I would have expected a higher level of conduct." He pointed at the first passage. "Just see here, how I misspelled the Viscount's name."

Evelyn smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you for your looks. Not your brain honey."

Cullen rolled his eyes in response.

* * *

><p>x - X - x<p>

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><p>"How wonderful to see you again Lord Pavus, and so soon!" Lady Trevelyan said with a gleeful expression as she seated herself for dinner. She fixed her gaze on Evelyn. "Didn't I tell you he would return my dear?"<p>

"Not even once," Evelyn responded.

"Of course I did!" She leaned in and touched Dorian's arm. "You have to trust me. I always believed that you would return to our estate. You've become such a fine friend of the family."

"Indeed I have?" Dorian said coyly.

"Well of course you have. We all adore you. Especially our dearest Evelyn. Don't you my dear?"

Evelyn pretended she didn't hear what her mother said and blew on the soup in her spoon, attempting to make it cool enough to eat. Lady Trevelyan, however, nudged Evelyn in the side so she lost grip of her spoon and it fell back down in the soup bowl. "I didn't quite catch that mother," She said in the blandest tone she could muster.

"I was just telling Lord Pavus that you missed him while he was away." Lady Trevelyan scowled at her daughter. "Didn't you?"

"Very much indeed!" She proclaimed sarcastically. "Every minute without you by my side was nothing but pure agony!"

Lady Trevelyan leaned in and whispered in Evelyn's ear. "I'm glad to see you're finally warming up to the idea of you and Lord Pavus. But you will scare him away if you're_ this_ aggressive."

"Will I?" Evelyn batted her eyelashes and pretended to be coy.

"Oh. I see what you're doing. You're mocking me aren't you? I will have you know dear, that some people value me."

"Is that so?" Evelyn said and took a sip of her wine.

"Yes. In fact." She raised her voice to claim everyone's attention. "I have great news!"

"What kind of news?" Lord Trevelyan wanted to know.

"Divine Victoria will attend my salon," she responded proudly.

The news made Evelyn choke on her wine. "What? Why would she do that?"


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age

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><p><strong>Of Pranks and Marriage 9<strong>

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><p>Lady Trevelyan glared at her daughter. "What kind of a question is that young lady?" She huffed. "My Salon is <em>the <em>social event of the year you know."

"Yes I know. It's _the_ social event in the _Free Marches._ You can't blame me for questioning Vivienne's interest. I'm sure her presence is high in demand in Orlais, and I would imagine her time was more than occupied with rebuilding the Circle of Magi."

"I will have you know that _my_ Salon is just as good as any Orlesian gathering, some might even find it superior!" Lady Trevelyan exclaimed. "And for the love of Andraste, do not speak so familiarly of our new Divine. Her name is Divine Victoria, and you will address her as such. Are we clear on that!?"

"By the Maker," Evelyn said and rolled her eyes. "Do we even have room for her? I'm sure _Divine Victoria_ requires a room for herself and one for each of her servants."

"Well, we could uninvited some of your friends perhaps? Do not for a second think I didn't see the names of those acceptance letters pouring in."

Evelyn gritted her teeth. "If they were good enough to be in the presence of Empress Celine, I'm sure they will be acceptable to you mother."

Lady Trevelyan chewed on her daughter's words. "I suppose you're right. If Empress Celine didn't mind. Maybe I shouldn't either." Evelyn had to roll her eyes. She could sense the way her mother felt she was cut from the same cloth as the Orlesian empress. "But I'm not sure we can fit everyone in the house when Divine Victoria arrives." Lady Trevelyan continued "Do you think some of them could… I don't know, pitch a tent or something?"

"Oh yes. What a splendid idea mother! Should we keep them in the courtyard perhaps? Then your friends can see how a generous hostess you are, letting the commoners into your world."

"There is no cause for that tone Evelyn!" Lady Trevelyan replied sharply. "But your point is valid. Just picture the look on Lady Ornacia if she had to see such a thing."

"We could just double up on some rooms? My room could easily house 20 soldiers."

"Hmmm… double up on rooms you say." She glanced over at Dorian. "Maybe you're right. Why don't you and Lord Pavus share a room? That would ease things up for us."

Evelyn couldn't believe her mother. She was becoming truly desperate. "No, I don't think that would be proper."

"I have to agree!" Cullen chimed in.

"As do I!" Lord Trevelyan continued.

"Well," Lady Trevelyan shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't be entirely improper if the two of you were engaged."

The Inquisitor shot up from her seat. "You can't be serious!" She schreeched.

Dorian tapped his knife against his glass, he rose up as if he was about to give a toast. "If I might interject Lady Trevelyan."

"Oh, please do!" Lady Trevelyan enthused, certain that Dorian would use this opportunity to finally propose.

Dorian cleared his throat ceremoniously and raised his glass to the woman across from him. "As you all know. I love Evelyn very much."

"Maker's breath." Cullen muttered next to him, rubbing his temple in exasperation. Sera on the other hand, sat eager and impatiently on the edge of her seat, soaking in every expression around the table. She was particularly amused by Evelyn's flushed face.

"It's _Miss_ Evelyn." Lady Trevelyan corrected. "But that's not important now is it," she said and giggled. "Continue will you."

"As I was saying. I love _Miss_ Evelyn very much." Dorian continued. "But I'm not _in_ _love _with her. I'm sorry my dear, but I can't marry you. I'm in love with someone else." Cullen let out a relieved sigh, while Sera frowned. The elf had hoped for more complications she could revel in.

Lady Trevelyan placed her arm on Evelyn's shoulder and looked at her with concern. "I don't understand," she said breathlessly. "You met someone in Kirkwall didn't you?" She looked back at Dorian. Studying his face for any sign of the truth.

"In a way."

"Please excuse me." Lord Trevelyan said and tossed his napkin on the floor. "I have some letters to write." He rose from his chair and left the room in a great hurry.

Lady Trevelyan directed her attention to her daughter. "I said you would lose him if you let him go to Kirkwall!"

"But I never wanted him!" Evelyn retorted. "Nor did he want me." Her mother sank as far back in her seat as humanly possible. "You have ruined us. No one will marry you now. Everyone will call you a tease for leading on Lord Pavus."

Dorian sat back down and patted Lady Trevelyan's back. "Dear Lady, don't be cruel to Miss Evelyn. If anything, I was the one who lead _you_ on."

She sniffled a little. "It's that Montilyet girl isn't it! You think she's better than us."

"Of course I don't!"

"Then who, who is it!" Lady Trevelyan demanded.

"You don't know _him_."

"Him!" She gave him a profoundly curious look. "Did you say… _HIM_!_"_

Dorian nodded in response.

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><p><strong>AN** It's kind of short. Sorry. I started this chapter a month ago, but a lot happened between now (I had to move etc.) so I can't really remember where it was headed. I have a new idea for the next one, so we'll go with that. Unless my schoolwork drownes me, I think I'll have it up by the end of the week.

Thank you for your patience and your reviews. It really means a lot to me.


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